You're the fuel to the fire
You're the weapons of war
You're the irony of justice
And the father of law

I've been waiting for awhile to meet you
For the chance to shake your hand
To give you thanks for all the suffering you command
And when all is over and we return to dust
Who will be my judge and which one do I trust

Ah, ah, oh, oh
Ah, ah, yeah
Ah, ah, oh, oh
Ah, ah, yeah

You're the champion of sorrow
You're the love and the pain
You're the fighter of evil
Yet you're one in the same

I've been waiting for awhile to meet you
For the chance to shake your hand
To give you thanks for all the suffering you command
And when all is over and we return to dust
Who will be my judge and which one do I trust?

Ah, ah, oh, oh
Ah, ah, yeah
Ah, ah, oh, oh
Ah, ah, yeah

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
Turnin' the other cheek aside
We all God's children, the giver of love
But only we will survive

General CommentYou guys are all idiots for caring about what other people believe in.
This is America people can believe whatever the hell they want. The problem is everyone has toï»¿ have everyone believe what they do. That's the basis of everything from wars to stupid ass arguements like you guys are having here.
That's what Scott's lyrics are really trying to tell you. Just enjoy the killer bass line and great guitar the Deleo brothers laid down and shut your mouths about religion.

General CommentOne of the deepest most philosophical songs Scott Weiland has ever written, along with "Sin" that also seems to deal with religion or faith. Still makes no sense to me why the critics were so harsh to STP with their debut album. I see very little parallels with them and Pearl Jam

General CommentScott was raised Catholic and still goes to mass on Sundays from time to time. He is a practicing Catholic. He believes in God, as A Song for Sleeping can attest to, and he's a huge fan of Notre Dame (Catholic school and catholic history). He also sings in HIG about how his dead brother "always went to mass". He also sings Be Not Afraid in HIG, a traditional Catholic hymn. Scott believes in God and I don't even think he really has an issue with organized religion. I can't speak for how he felt about religion when Core came out though. Naked Sunday definitely has anti God/anti religious lyrics... but remember "Sex Type Thing" off that record was another song not meant to be taken as literal feelings Scott had. He was putting himself in the mind of a macho alpha male pig. He easily could've been putting himself in "Naked Sunday" in the place of a man questioning his faith. That's what I think the song is about, ultimately, a person who had faith at one point but is now questioning it.

Interesting title, by the way, "Naked Sunday". Mass is on Sunday. We were created naked, but when Adam/Eve betrayed God they were shamed by this nakedness. It's possible Scott was questioning religion at the time he wrote the song, but a lot has changed in his life since then

My InterpretationI honestly believe this song to be the Stone Temple Pilot's stylized reprisal of 'Sympathy for the Devil.' Listen to the similarities in cadence during the bridge of this song. The lyrical subjects are of the same topical nature, only this song addresses the Devil in a second person narrative.

That which is truly evil often has the awe inspiring charisma to compel others to do wrong even when their own moral judgment may argue with this. Furthermore, this power is often able to convince others that they will be safer disregarding their own morals in favor of committing sins against humanity, hence the 'Who will be my judge and which one do I trust.' 'I've been waiting for a while to meet you, for a chance to shake your hand, to give you thanks for all the suffering you command' expresses an aire of admiration, even gratitude sarcastic or otherwise, going out on a limb beyond mere courtesy and sympathy for the one responsible for everything in our world.

Governments, institutions, organized religion all provide a spring board for evil to exert itself in this world, Mick Jagger warns us of the same. This song though is still a testament to Weiland on his part for being able to redeliver a fresh interpretation from his internal understanding of a classic.

General CommentYeah I totally agree. The song makes a lot of references to God, including when Scott shouts out some Bible verses after the guitar solo.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth....Turn the other cheek aside..."
Then he yells, "We all God's children, the Giver of Life, for only we will survive!"

General CommentInterpretation: The song addresses how certain cultures and countries (particularly those such as America) try to assume the role of freedom fighters. It addresses the irony they fail to notice in how they're mercilessly waging war in the name of peace, and how they try to make the world a better place by constantly fighting, but only end up being the "fuel to the fire". The question "And when all is over and we return to dust, who will be my judge, and which one do I trust?" could be asking "When all the fighting is over and we have lost so many that we're close to extinction, who am I to follow and trust? And with our purpose scattered amongst the aftermath of war, who will I have to look up to once you're gone?"